Andy King has backed Jamie Vardy to maintain the goal-scoring form that saw the Leicester City striker smash a Premier League record two seasons ago.

Vardy has scored three goals in the first four games of this Premier League campaign, including two in the opening-day defeat at Arsenal and a penalty in the home loss to Chelsea.

The England international had scored only twice at this stage last season, but it took him until December 10 to find a third, when he scored a hat-trick in the 4-2 victory over Man City.

Jamie Vardy scores from the penalty spot to make it 1-2 during the Premier League match between Leicester City and Chelsea at King Power Stadium. (Photo by Plumb Images/Leicester City FC via Getty Images)

That hat-trick, though, came amid a barren spell of 26 games in all competitions in which that was the only game that Vardy scored.

In the title-winning season, Vardy had still only scored twice after four Premier League games, with his second goal coming in the draw at Bournemouth.

However, that goal would mark the start of Vardy’s record-breaking streak of scoring in 11 consecutive Premier League games.

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If Vardy can continue his goal record as it currently stands under boss Craig Shakespeare, Leicester could well continue prosper.

Vardy has found the net 11 times in his 17 Premier League appearances under Shakespeare, since he took over in February following the sacking of Claudio Ranieri.

Penalty duty will help Golden Boot hopes

The England striker is also now Leicester’s designated penalty-taker, having been backed by his team-mates to take the duties off Riyad Mahrez.

Vardy took six penalties during the title-winning season, scoring five, although two of those were because Mahrez was not on the pitch. Mahrez took six of his own, and scored four.

Vardy, though, did not take a single spot-kick for Leicester last season as Mahrez took all but one of City’s eight penalties in the Premier League and Champions League, scoring five. Islam Slimani took the other.

“The players made the decision (to make Vardy the penalty taker) and I was happy to go along with it,” said Shakespeare.